Bhagatsingh Biradar, an engineering student hailing from Vijayapura, and studying in R.V. College, Bengaluru, was one among seven members of a team that participated in the prestigious aero-modelling competition held in Arizona, the U.S.
Speaking about his experience there, he said every year the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) organises a competition in aero-modelling in which several countries participate. His college constituted a technical team in 2007 with an objective of taking up research in designing unmanned aircrafts, such as drones.
“Since then, a team has been participating in competitions organised by the American-based Society for Aeronautical Engineering (SAE). In 2013, the team won an award from NASA for preparing the lightest unmanned aircraft — weighing just 130 gm, which could lift objects five times its weight,” he said.
Mr. Biradar, however, said that it was for the first time that an Indian team had participated in the AIAA completion, which is believed to be tougher than the SAE. “We were among 84 countries selected for the competition. Our team, Vyoma, designed a drone,” he said.
Mr. Biradar said teams from the U.S., China, Germany and Malaysia put up better designs than his team. “We found they were far ahead in drone technology than India.”
Mr. Biradar said drones could be used for aerial photography, surveillance and agriculture.
